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Wednesday, August 10, 2005

August Previews Highlights: Erin’s Picks

In addition to Kerry’s picks, I’ve got a few of my own.

Pick of the Month:

Jew Gangster: A Father’s Admonition HCIBooks – pg. 292; $22.95; 128 pgs. B&WBy Joe KubertFrom just the couple small sample pages provided in Previews, Kubert looks to have done a beautiful job with this story following a young man who turns to gangster life even though his father warns him about taking that path. “With the same intensity and detail that he put into ‘Yossel,’ Kubert recreates a time when even the most innocent person was caught up in the dark underbelly of society,” says the solicit.

Featured Comics:

Pyongyang: A Journey to North Korea HCDrawn & Quarterly – pg. 277; $19.95; 184 pgs. B&WBy Guy DelisleNearly making my pick of the month, this GN provides a rare look into the country of North Korea. Delisle presents his observations of the country while living in Pyongyang for two months on a work visa.

Loveless #1Vertigo – pg. 111; $2.99; 40 pgs. FCWriter: Brian Azzarello; Artist: Marcelo FrusinI’m not a fan of the Western, per se, but this new on-going looks amazing. The sample pages are reminiscent of Pia Guerra (Y: The Last Man) or Cliff Chiang (Human Target), and with Azzarello writing the series, this is a very promising addition to the increasingly impressive Vertigo line-up. Set post-Civil War, Wes Cutter is looking for peace after leading a so-far brutal life. His road to peace, traveled with his wife, looks to be just as harsh, though.

Top Shelf Conversations #2Top Shelf – pg. 364; $4.95; 48 pgs. B&WBy Jeffrey Brown and James KochalkaI thought issue #1 was an incredible romp through the brains of two artists (Kochalka and Craig Thompson). Now Kochalka returns to take on Jeffrey Brown (one of my favorite creators) in the dueling-pages format of the series exploring art and comics along with, I’m sure, many other subjects.

The Return of the Elephant One-ShotAdhouse Books – pg. 203; $6; 48 pgs. PCBy Paul HornschemeierDescribed in Previews as an “eerily quiet story of a solitary man and the ulterior motives involved in a visit from a longtime friend of the family.” Hornschemeier is an incredible talent, so I’ll be picking this one-shot up for sure.

Sunset City GNAiT/Planet Lar – pg. 210; $9.95; 80 pgs. B&WBy Rob OsborneAnother solid bet is the combo of Rob Osborne and AiT/Planet Lar. In this graphic novel (which, by the way, is even less expensive than the usually reasonably priced GNs from the publisher), Osborne tells of Frank McDonald, a retirement community member who decides one day to come out of retirement and “takes life by the balls.”

Quick Picks:Dark Horse will reissue The Goon #1 in a new edition for just 25 cents. This off-beat comic has been hit or miss for me personally—some issues I love, some not so much—but the comic is well worth a try for a quarter (pg. 28; $0.25; 32 pgs.).

Steve Niles pens this three-part prestige-format Batman tale titled “Batman: Gotham County Line” (DC; pg. 57; $5.99; 48 pgs.). The sample pages with art by Scott Hampton sold me on this story, though I’m not sure why DC likes to release three-part prestige-format titles, when they could just issue them as one GN. Oh well.

I still need to read the first “Amazing Joy Buzzards” series, but since Kerry’s been raving about it, I feel comfortable recommending the new second series, issue #1 coming out in October (Image; pg. 134; $2.99; 32 pgs.).

Steve Niles shows up again in Previews with “The Lonely Tombstone” from Image Comics, which is a one-shot following Darla and her new friend, a tombstone (pg. 140; $5.99; 32 pgs.).

I’m just going to have to quote from Previews for the comic "Mr. Night" from SLG, Glen Dakin, and Phil Elliott: “The Enemy of Mankind takes a holiday in Greece, holds a discourse on love and human relationships, meets Pythagoras and discovers that no man is a triangle.” See what I mean? (pg. 222; $2.95; 24 pgs.).

As usual, Fantagraphics has more than a few promising offerings this month. One of which is “Acme Novelty Library #16” by Chris Ware (pg. 284; $15.95; 64 pgs. FC) and another is “Beg the Question” GN by Bob Fingerman (pg. 284; $16.95; 248 pgs.). The latter follows a 20-something couple in 1990s NYC.

Xeric-winner Alex Cahill is the creator of this one-shot “Something So Familiar” (New Radio Comics; pg. 317; $4; 48 pgs.). The wordless comic tells of a man driven to suicide, who jumps off a building and discovers he can fly.

Never forget to check the Books section of Previews, as there is usually a gem or two back there. This month one of the gems is “Animus,” a storybook by Emmy Award-winning animator Seonna Hong. Using paintings and “animated popup elements,” the book follows a little girl (pg. 400; $25; 34 pgs.).

The Complete EC Picto-Fiction Library SetThis is the final component of “The Complete EC Library” and collects the series “Shock Illustrated,” Terror Illustrated,” “Crime Illustrated,” and “Confessions Illustrated.”Gemstone Publishing – page 287; $150; set of four HC books in slipcase.

Elk’s RunBy Joshua Hale Fialkov, Nel Tuazon, and Scott Keating, this book collects the first three issues of the rare indie book of the same name.Speakeasy Comics – page 325; $7.99; 80 pgs.